New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS): The second SFA Championship Delhi had a flag-off ceremony at the historic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday featuring some legendary Olympians and hockey legends including Ashok Kumar, men’s World Cup winner and son of the famous Olympian Major Dhyan Chand.
Other notable attendees were 1982 Asian Games silver medalists Vineet Kumar and Romeo James, former Indian women's national team coach Arvind Chhabra, and former Olympian Ashok Dewan.
In his speech, Ashok Dhyan Chand, a member of the 1975 World Cup-winning team, encouraged young athletes to give their best on the field. He emphasised that dedication and hard work are key to making India a global sports power. After the ceremony, the legends flagged off the event alongside the winning teams from last year’s SFA Championship.
Ashok Dhyan Chand praised the SFA Championship, saying, "It starts from childhood, from school itself. Developing talent from a young age shows results. SFA has been doing this since 2015, helping India become a sports superpower. The SFA School Championships is a great initiative, giving kids a chance to play in top stadiums boosts their morale."
“SFA is bringing thousands of children from schools to the playgrounds, raising awareness and interest in sports. Using technology to track talent is essential, and should be applied to ages 3 to 18. With this data, we can better train young athletes and see results soon,” he added.
Vineet Kumar, a Dhyan Chand Award recipient, and his team’s goalkeeper Romeo James agreed with Ashok Dhyan Chand, noting that the SFA Championship is a great platform for children and should also cater to older age groups to nurture top-level talent.
The SFA Championship is part of Sports for All's mission to professionalise and organise grassroots sports in India and create a culture of sports in the country. This year, 14,500 athletes from 545 schools in Delhi NCR are competing in 19 sports across five venues.
SFA Championships will mark "She is Gold" day on October 8 to honour women in sports, with 90% of all matches on the day featuring women athletes and officials. October 9 will be 'Coaches Day,' celebrating coaches’ contributions with special matches.